07.31.768N 099.07.636E  Monday 8^th December   By the time we had collected our repaired outboard engine, cleared out from Port Control, Immigration and Customs, handed back the motor bike and car keys, paid our berthing dues and refuelled the morning had disappeared.  We decided to take it easy and gently motored to a close anchorage – Ko Bulan – described by Rod Heikell as ‘spectacular and pretty much deserted’ – and it lived up to its description…… purity and peace!  Funny to think we are in Thailand now as of course the scenery is similar although the fishing boats are different! 

The engine seemed to be ‘missing a beat’ every so often indicating a small air bubble in the system, so once anchored we decided to do a filter change and bleed the system – messy old job but it seems to have done the trick……we’re also due for oil change soon.  With arguably the most stringent part of the circumnavigation to come we are over due for quite a few jobs……the mainsail split down one of the seams the other day – hardly surprising for an original 26 year old piece of cloth but worrying nonetheless – is the whole sail beinging to rot?  We have made a temporary repair with stick on fabric but will need to address the problem once we get to a marina to be lifted out. Since lowering the engine some while ago, we don’t appear to have had any more leakage through the shaft seal but should be go ahead with fitting the new seal in any case?

Our second anchorage, Ko Muk, was recommended by the Neva’s and described by them in an email to us all:

‘Went to Ko Muk specifically to see the Emerald cave - and it's absolutely stunning.

The cave is easy to spot - it has red mooring buoys (for tripper boats and dinghies - not yachts) and a rickety hut and a stone sign on a rock just outside the entrance.

We left the dinghy and swam through at 2 hours after HW, and a couple took a canoe through at the same time. You could probably paddle a dinghy through closer to LW, but we'd recommend snorkelling through because of what you can see in the water, especially on the way out with the sunlight ahead of you. Take a waterproof torch as some of the 80m length of tunnel is in darkness. We wore snorkelling gear and flotation aids.

If you don't have someone to follow, enter the left hand of the two caves (with a bit of rope hanging down) and follow the right hand wall. Mind your head!

You really shouldn't miss this! The tunnel is fun, and what you see at the end of the tunnel is fantastic!’

So! Off we went in our dinghys with the Evelyns, the Big Blues and the Penelope IIIs and as you can see from the photos it truly is an amazing phenomenon -  when you pop out of the dark cave tunnel and see the minature ‘inland’ beach, clear water and surrounding ‘forest’ it feels like being inside the surreal crater of a volcano which has been recreated for an elaborate film set - quite extraordinary!

We took the dinghy around the headland

…to the cave entrance – only really discernable by the

small red buoys to guide in the tourist long boats

…in we all swam – early to beat the trippers

….and first sight of the little enclosed beach

….the surrounding vertical cliffs

… a plaque with a short history of the Morakot Cave

Oscar at the foot of the cliffs to give you an

idea of the sheer scale

…..incredible light on the fish coming

through the tunnel

….and more!  What an experience………

Last night, after a brisk 15 mile sail, we anchored off Ko Po (of the Lanta Yai group) – again a blissfully calm, unspoilt spot where if it weren’t for the fact that we are obliged to ‘clear into the country’ within five days of leaving Malaysia, we would probably have stayed longer.

Today the wind has dropped and we are motoring to Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Phi Phi Le – so famous for their beauty but probably horribly overcrowded, especially as it is a bank holiday Monday here!